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Political Author Jon A. Shields to Present Lecture on College Diversity

Author Jon A. Shields, associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in Los Angeles, will lead the provocative discussion “How Far Left?: The Quest for Viewpoint Diversity in American Higher Education” at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 11, from 4 to 6 PM.

To say that academia is politically progressive is a generally accepted fact of American life. But exactly how stark is this political culture in the academy, and what might it mean for what we know about the world around us—particularly from social science research?

In his new groundbreaking book (coauthored with Joshua Dunn), Passing on the Right: Conservative Professors in the Progressive University, Shields examines these issues through over 150 interviews with mostly conservative professors at universities around the United States.

Shields finds many professors who relish their uniqueness in the workplace, while others having to hide their political views—at least until they earn tenure. Contrary to the popular perceptions, however, this situation is not as grim as it is often portrayed. There are ways we can bring greater viewpoint diversity onto American college campuses, and it is important that our next generation of center-right academics know that there is hope and a calling to a life in the academy.

This event is part of the “How Far Left to Go?” panels hosted around the country by Pepperdine University School of Public Policy. For additional information, visit the School of Public Policy website.